Table leg with height-adjusting spacer

Details Table leg with height-adjusting spacer Table leg with height-adjusting spacer

1999-12-08

2002-03-12

Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)

Horizontally supported planar surfaces

Vertically adjustable

C108S147190, C248S188400

Reexamination Certificate

active

06354231

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a table leg for supporting a table top above a floor, and more particularly to a table leg with a height-adjusting spacer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To improve the ergonomics of tables, some include table legs that have adjustment mechanisms so that the length of the leg, and hence height of the table above the floor, can be adjusted. Such height adjustment mechanisms typically include a foot threadedly received on the table leg so that the foot can be rotated to determine the length of the leg. The length adjustment capability, however, is typically of a small extent.
Some table legs also mount a castor at the floor-engaging end thereof so that the mobility of the table is improved. The addition of castors to table legs increases the length of the table leg and hence the height of the table above the floor. In an effort to improve the ergonomics of the table legs with castors, it is conventional to mount the castor on the above-described foot so that the length of the castored table leg can be adjusted. However, the addition of a castor significantly increases the length of the table leg to such an extent that the minimum length adjustment of a castored table leg is greater than the maximum length of a castor-free table leg. Thus, two of the same type of tables, one supported by castored table legs and the other supported by castor-free table legs, can not be used adjacent each other to create a single height worksurface because of these differing leg lengths prevent the table worksurfaces from being disposed in an aligned and planar relationship.
It is desirable in today's modular office environments to allow different arrangements of tables so that use of the tables and the worksurfaces that they provide is maximized. It follows that the user desires the ability to move tables supported by castored legs into position adjacent tables supported by castor-free legs, and thus use the adjacent tables as a contiguous planar worksurface without a protruding ledge at the joint between the adjacent tables.
Some tables are also supported by noncastored legs at one end and castored legs at the other end. Unfortunately, these tables often require the use of different legs so as to accommodate the castors at one end.
It is also desirable in today's office environment to be able to modify (i.e. retrofit) a table leg to provide it either with or without a castor, while at the same time permitting use of the table at the same height. Such is not possible with some conventional tables.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for compensating for the differing minimum height (axial length) of a table leg with a castor (i.e. castored leg) and the maximum height of a table leg without a castor (i.e. castor-free leg) so that castor-free legs and castored legs can have the same length.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a removable spacer on a castor-free table leg so that the maximum leg length is at least as long as the minimum length of a castored table leg. The maximum length of the table leg with spacer of the present invention is preferably at least somewhat greater than the minimum length of a castored table leg.
Other objects and purposes of the present invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3150853 (1964-09-01), Lisbin
patent: 3329105 (1967-07-01), McPherson
patent: 3722565 (1973-03-01), Miller, Jr. et al.
patent: 4789121 (1988-12-01), Gidseg et al.
patent: 5142734 (1992-09-01), Looman et al.
patent: 5881979 (1999-03-01), Rozier, Jr. et al.
patent: 390 (1901-01-01), None

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